Life Lesson
by Brolliks
Summary: Long before the Star Wars saga, a war photographer commits suicide after seeing a gungan atrocity.


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Life Lesson 

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**The severely dented carrier Xavier leaves te Naboo atmosphere for space. The operation had been a resounding failure. The humans' attempts to take control of Naboo had failed, yet again. Though there were massive gungan casualties, the humans were just not strong enough to pull it through.**   
  


**Though the battle was over, there was still one unreported casualty...**   
  


***   
  


**Content Analysis : PG-13 Violent and Possibly Disturbing**   
  


This story is supposed to upset you, irrespectively on whether I actually achieved this or not.   
  
  
  


**Formal Disclaimer**

All Star Wars characters and concepts used in this story, remain the sole intellectual property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm (Ltd).   
  


The illustration accompanying this work, was done by me : Jako Malan aka. Brolliks. Please do not copy or re-post it without asking permission (which you will most probably get if you ask).   
  


This story may not be distributed for any form of compensation whatsoever, but may be distributed for free. This story will only be allowed to exist, whilst Lucasfilm doesn't object to it. If it's existence is prohibited for whatever reason, you're privilege of reading / possessing / distributing it will void.   
  


***   
  


Carlotta - Ennio Morricone   
  


A distressed lieutenant hastily enters the deck of the carrier, "Reporter Sandler is dead, sir."   
  


The general turns around asks, stunned, "What?!?"   
  


The lieutenant continues to explain, "We found him dead in his room, sir. It looks like suicide."   
  


The stern general's face exhibits a small worried frown. He lifts his forefinger to his lip.   
  


The lieutenant continues, "Sir, we found this letter on him. We have not looked at it yet."   
  


The general precariously takes the rough folded piece of paper in his hands and unfolds it... 

By the time you read this, I will, hopefully, be dead. Know that I don't give a d*** hell what you may think of me after reading this. I don't care if you call me a traitor. I just want you to know what I really think of this whole damn operation of yours.   
  


We claim to be civilized. We claim to be THE superior beings... I actually believed so too, until today. Today, a new revelation was unfolded in my life.   
  


Remorse - Ennio Morricone   
  


I crouched down in the marsh. The shouts of your men fading into the woods. My camera was rolling; capturing every tiny horrific detail in bright AGFAChrome. I wanted to get up and walk closer, but I was stopped.   
  


A battered gungan soldier came staggering from the woods. His left arm dangling by it side, broken in half and bleeding. I held my breath as it approached. It was injured, but still carrying it's primitive weapon, still going strong. I bit my lip. My heart raced. It drew nearer and nearer to where I lay.   
  


He then too, saw his fallen comrade. His face contracted with the stinging pain of loss as he dropped down on his knees. I saw his right hand trembling, impulsively grasping the cold hand of the fallen. His eyes closed and his face dropped. He started sobbing. He had lost a dear friend; in the most horrifying of ways. 

I blinked in stark disbelief. I had been told all my life that gungans were heartless, primitive, cannibalistic animals. I could never conceive of this... The Bolex purred lowly at the side of my head as I watched.   
  


The gungan started crying dearly. Sporadic words of loss left it's puffy lips. I didn't understand his language, but his face cried out in the universal language of pain. I felt my heart bleeding. "Mankind, you have made a terrible mistake..." I silently muttered to myself.   
  


Then came more shouting as a group of your men came charging from the woods. The unarmed gungan leapt to his feet... Only to be pinned back down by cracking gunfire.   
  


I must have fainted, for it was dark when I woke up. Crouching close to me, sat another gungan.   
  


I froze, for I was unarmed. The Bolex has stopped snapping, for it was out of film. The gungan's face shon an expression of grief. It's eyes were deep and revealing. It looked right at me. Right into me. It blinked sporadically.   
  


My painful death was near, I just knew it. After what your men have done to them, there was just no chance in hell that the gungan was going to spare me.   
  


The gungan gazed at me. It had a gray skin. It was clad in it's primitive armor. It had several short whiskers dangling from the side of it's snout. It's lips were firmly shut and it had a spear in it's right hand.   
  


Then, the gungan's face dropped. He reached out at me with his four fingered hand... His hand touched my worried face.   
  


It's chipped fingernails and soft fingertips ran from my brow, down across my face, touched my upper lip and my chin. Then, he slowly drew back his hand and started sobbing. The tears rolled from his eyes.   
  


Then, which stabbed deeper than his primitive spear could... A wound deeper than that of a sniper's bullet... It's mouth open and it uttered, "sob... human... bein."   
  


It shut it's eyes and drew them to his forehead. His lips trembled with grief.   
  


***   
  


I don't recall what happened after that. And, quite frankly, neither would I like to know, for I woke up in this forsaken ship.   
  


It was then I realized : My race had blood on it's hands. I realized that I could not commit myself to such barbarians, ever again. I don't know why that gungan spared me and I honestly think I'll ever know.   
  


I'll took the pills. You'll find me right here on my comfy forsaken bed. 

Let my films be seen. Let man know of it's mistake. Let this be the last time that innocent, intelligent life forms suffer such indecent cruelty. That is, if you have the guts to do so.   
  


- Sandler   
  


***   
  


The general gulps, but his face turns angry as he utters something.   
  


"General?"   
  


"To your post, lieutenant!" the general shouts angrily as he squishes the letter into a small ball of paper.   
  


"Have all his footage destroyed.... That is an order!" He commands.   
  


"Eye, sir." 


End file.
